MIAMI (June 19, 2018) - For the eighth year in a row, Holland & Knight earned Gold Standard Certification from the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for its achievement in providing women attorneys with opportunities for financial success and positions at the highest level of firm leadership.

WILEF grants Gold Standard Certification status to major firms that meet objective criteria concerning the number of women among equity partners, in firm leadership positions, and in the ranks of their most highly compensated partners.

For 2018 Gold Standard Certification, firms were required to demonstrate that 20 percent of equity partners or, alternatively, 33 percent of the attorneys who became equity partners during the past 12 months were women. Firms were also required to meet at least three of the following five criteria:

15 percent of firm and U.S. branch office heads are women

20 percent of the firm's primary governance committee are women

20 percent of the firm's compensation committee or its equivalent are women

15 percent of the top half of the firm's equity partners in terms of compensation are women

7 percent of women equity partners are women of color or 3.5 percent of women equity partners are LGBT

This year 42 law firms have been awarded the Gold Standard Certification. Holland & Knight is one of only 11 law firms to have been awarded Gold Standard Certification every year since WILEF began the award in 2011.

About WILEF: WILEF is the leading forum for the advancement of women in law, and awards the annual Gold Standard certification to large law firms that meet the organization's exacting standards for women in positions of power. With chapters in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, London, Texas, Boston and California, WILEF is the premier organization for women in law dedicated to helping women in the largest law firms and corporate law departments advance their careers by developing a sense of empowerment and becoming leaders. www.wilef.com